XRØY/XRØZ QSL Cards

The Barcode

Our team leader Bob, KK6EK, came up with the idea of barcoding QSL cards. We worked together devising a format that would be flexible enough to work for all DXpeditions.

Looking at the barcode above the upper line of characters gives the standard QSL data line. It contains the following fields:


CALL1 DATE TIME FREQ MODE REPORT CALL2

where CALL1 is the logged station and CALL2 is the logging station. The barcode line is created by recoding the standard line to make it more compact. It contains the following fields:


* A A A A A % Y M D T T F F F M S S N N N N N B B B B B *

where

               * = initiator
           AAAAA = logged station
               % = separator
               Y = year
               M = Month
               D = day
              TT = time (UTC)
             FFF = Frequency
               M = mode
              SS = signal report
          NNNNNN = user code
           BBBBB = logged station
               * = terminator

Barcode font is code=39, human-readable, 24 print, medium density.

The barcode line has the following format (parentheses are not part of the code):


(*) (callsign1) (QSOdata) (callsign2) (*)

This line is derived from the Standard Data Line,and contains the same information, but has been recorded tomake it more compact. The QSO data field contains 18 characters, whie the callsign fields are variable. The entire barcode is limited to 32 characters.

The following 43 alphanumeric characters are used for the recording. These are listed in the attached table:


              10 numeric characters    0 1 . . . 9
              26 alphabetic characters A . . . Z
               4 special characters % + / $
               3 extra characters DASH (-) PERIOD (.) SPACE (_)

The first 40 of these is defined as a "mod-40" set for actually representing the data. The 3 "extra" characters are used as field separators and keys for alternative decoding. The coding is as follows:


     *        initiator (always the asterisk, or ! if you don't want
              the * to print)

     AAAAA    logged station (alphanumeric, variable length)

     %        required separator.  The character % is the normal 
              separator, and indicates that the following 18 characters
              are in the order listed in the sample.  If any other
              separator appears at this position, the rest of the barcode 
              will be assumed in an alternative format (not yet defined).
              [uses % + / $ DASH (-) PERIOD (.) or SPACE
              (some fonts use UNDERSCORE (_) to represent a space)]

     Y        year (0=1990, 1=1991 . . .) [uses all 40 characters in 
              sequence, starting at 0]

     M        month (1=Jan, C=Dec) [uses 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C]

     D        day (1=1st . . . V=31st) [uses 1 2 3 . . . V]

     TT       time of day (UTC) in minutes mod 40.

     FFF      frequency in kHz mod 40.

     M        mode (1=CW, 2=SSB, 3=RTTY, 4=AMTOR, 5=PACKET, 6=SSTV, ...)
              [uses any of the 43 characters]

     SS       signal strength
              For rs reports, use 2 numeric digits. 
              (Example: for 59, use SS="59").
              For rst, use 2 alphabetical characters 
              (Example, for 478, find 478 mod 26, 26*18+10=R_J, so SS="RJ")

     NNNNNN   arbitrary user code.  This is added by the logging station.
              It can be used as an error check, a sequence number, or any
              other coded information.  For VHF contacts, if the frequency
              is above 64 mHz, the first N is a coded multiplier. 
              [uses all 43 characters]

     BBBBB    logging station (aplhanumeric, variable length)

     *        terminator (always the asterisk, or ! if you don't want 
              the * to print)

Printing

The layout was designed by KK6EK. The pictures were taking by various Easter Island Team members. The printing was performed by Farnsworth Printing which is owned by me, WJ2O.

The cards are 3-1/2" x 11 which is double the standard 3-1/2" x 5-1/2" QSL card width. A score down the center makes them easy to fold. They were printed on the outside in 4-color process and 2-colors on the inside.

40,000 cards were run using the offset printing process 4-up on a 12" x 19" sheet. A Heidelburg KORA single color press was used.

The printed cards were then trimmed down to an 8-1/2" x 11" size that will run through a laserprinter easily. At this size, the cards are still 2-up.

What 40,000 double QSL cards looks like stacked and waiting for laser printing

While on the island all operators logged using CT by K1EA Software in "DXpedition Mode". The original BIN files were compiled and edited by John, W3UM. The resulting BIN files were imported into the WJ2O Master QSO Logging Program for printing.

Two sets of logs were printed for the DXpedition QSL Manager Mary, WA3HUP. One in alphabetical order and one chronological. Each log consisted of 800 pages and was 5" thick.

Each of the cards were run through an Okidata OL-1200 for imprinting of the QSO data. After the cards are trimmed down to their final size and shipped to the QSL manager.

XRØY QSLs being printed by Missy (who is camera shy) at Farnsworth Printing